As an editor at Lombardi Financial, John has enhanced his understanding of economics, turning his attention to individual stocks and other investing opportunities. John is primarily a fundamental analyst. His focus is on “off-the-radar” situations with big upside potential for the individual investor.

Outside of his professional life, John stays active through tennis and sailing. He also enjoys collecting antiquarian books and art.

Get to know John…

What was your first job and how has it contributed to your investing career?

I manually set up bowling pins when I was six at the local bowling alley on the beach. I was paid in candy. I remember it was fun, and that the more impulse control I showed, the more my credit at the counter grew. My friends cashed out after every game; I waited for days and days before cashing in to get the biggest payout. That same patience has served me well as an investor.

How did you make your first foray into investing and what did you take away from that experience?

I made my first real foray into the stock markets during the dotcom era. It was almost impossible to lose money at the time, and I did well, in spite of myself. After the dotcom bubble burst, I discovered how easy it was to lose money. It’s also when I learned how important it is to really understand what it is you’re investing in.

What has been the most memorable moment in your investing career?

My most memorable stock market moment is better viewed in hindsight. My friend’s father lost an enormous amount of money on Black Monday (October 19, 1987). He told me the loss was all on paper, and he would make it all back. It took a couple of years, but he was right. It didn’t mean much to me at the time, but since then, it has taught me about stock market cycles and the importance of having a diversified portfolio.

Silver may be looking at a fourth consecutive year of declines, but the silver price forecast for the rest of 2015 and 2016 looks bullish. At least according to a number of major key indicators. Silver Will Shine When the Stock Market Corrects Are silver’s high-flying days gone?…

Having recently plunged to the $52.00 per barrel level, oil prices are down more than 50% since last June. And the horizon doesn’t hold much promise with oil futures under $65.00 per barrel past 2020. That doesn’t mean the beaten down oil and gas sector doesn’t hold a…

With the markets seemingly overvalued, anxious investors are looking for growth stocks in sectors that have not disappointed this year. Pharmaceutical and healthcare stocks have been bucking the lethargic trend that has plagued the S&P 500. Growth Stocks for an Overvalued Stock Market The first half of 2015…

Should you have high dividend-yielding stocks in your investing portfolio? Issues in Greece have turned the markets red and show how vulnerable the global stock market is-and by extension, your retirement portfolio. To help stomach ongoing market volatility, many investors like to include a number of solid dividend-yielding…

When it comes to oil price forecasts, there isn’t a lot of optimism out there. Oil prices are still down 40% from last June, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) continues to glut the market with oil, and global economic growth has pretty much flatlined. Currently…

What’s the one thing we know about dividend-yielding stocks? Over the long-run, they outperform their non-dividend-paying peers. This is true even more so when you take advantage of their dividend reinvestment programs (DRIP) and direct stock purchase plans (DSPP). And with tension in Greece mounting, geopolitical tensions simmering…

The top three penny stocks are not your typical penny stocks. They are not thinly-traded over-the-counter stocks trying to eke out an existence in a niche nobody cares about. These three penny stocks all trade on major indices; have strong fundamentals and business plans; solid volume; and tremendous…

Where should you look in the never-ending quest to find the best stocks? So far this year, the S&P 500 is up a measly 1.7%; the NYSE is up a miserly 1.1%; while the Dow Jones Industrial Average has gained an underwhelming 0.3%. Also Read: Best Gold ETFs: The…

How do you attract investors in an environment where it’s generally acknowledged that stocks are sorely overvalued? The one thing investors look for when it comes to added value is stocks that provide dividends. One of the most popular, Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE/XOM), pays out an annual dividend…

The upcoming Fitbit IPO date seems to be the talk of the water cooler. Is it because Fitbit is the real thing or is it because it’s been a quiet year so far on the IPO front? With an expected launch on the NYSE in the next couple…

Few charts look as strong and encouraging as the S&P 500 over the last five years. Since the markets bottomed in 2009, the S&P 500 has soared 215%. While many investors remain bullish, the market cap to gross domestic product (GDP) ratio shows the stock market is seriously…

Brazil, Latin America’s largest economy, is in turmoil and teetering on disaster. Just five years ago, as the global economy was in the midst of one of the biggest economic disasters since the Great Depression, Brazil was one of the bright spots. Not anymore. Brazil’s economic outlook for…

Wearable technology has been around for eons; the most popular form of which have been watches. And for the near future, smartwatches will continue to be the most popular. While the “Apple Watch” has garnered much of the attention as of late, the fast-approaching Fitbit IPO is casting…

The “Internet of Things” isn’t just a new catchphrase that will eventually become as unnecessary and tiresome as "Y2K". The Internet of Things is about an interconnected world. And thanks to the Internet, it’s quickly becoming a reality. There is a large number of Internet of Things companies…

Gold ETFs (exchange-traded funds) are the perfect way for investors to get exposure to physical gold without actually having to own it. And with gold prices on the move, now is the perfect time to start researching gold bullion ETFs. Gold Prices on the Move The last time…

Oil prices have rebounded over the last eight weeks, climbing more than 30% to the $60.00 per barrel level. This is a positive sign for oil and gas stocks and a great opportunity to find undervalued stocks. Each of these undervalued oil stocks has a strong international footprint…

Since launching in 2009, Uber has gone from startup to, most recently, eyeing a $50.0 billion valuation. But can Uber justify the eye-watering valuation? And will this necessitate Uber going public sooner rather than later? Uber Valuation: $50.0 Billion and Rising After a banner year where 273 companies…

While many investors have turned their back on precious metals like silver and gold, there are a number of catalysts that suggest prices will rebound in 2015. While silver prices have fallen, and investor sentiment is negative, the fundamentals for silver are getting better. This includes the supply-demand…

How Does Snapchat Make Money: Snapcash and Disappearing Ads In the beginning, social media sites like Facebook, Inc. (NASDAQ/FB) were more of a passing curiosity than anything. What does my ex-girlfriend look like now? Where does my old roommate that I no longer bother keeping in touch with…

Crude Oil ETFs (exchange-traded funds) track the price changes of crude oil and are a great way for investors to diversify their retirement portfolio and gain exposure to the market. All of this is possible without the need of opening a futures account or buying a large number…

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